How would the Earth change, or be
different, if the inner core were made
out of bubble gum instead of iron?
By Bridgette Fincher
ASIJ 4th Grade 1998
The Inner Core
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Definition: The inner core is the part of the Earth
found right in the very center.
It is solid, thick and dense.
It is made up of an iron-rich alloy of metals.
It has a pressure of 3,640,000 atmospheres.
The temperature is 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
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It provides heat to the mantle and crust.
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Bubble Gum
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Definition: Bubble gum is a type of sweet candy that
goes in your mouth and you chew it.
It is made up of five different parts- a chewing gum
base, sugar, softeners, flavorings, and colors.
Rosin, from pine trees, is used to keep the gum texture
correct.
Oil is used to make the gum soft.
It is stiff and bread-like when it is dry. It is sticky when
it is wet and chewed.
Ice, peanut butter, mayonnaise and oil can all be used
to remove bubble gum from clothes and hair.
Iron
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Definition: It is a chemical element that is in the metal
group of the Periodic Table. (Fe)
Iron is the type of metal found most often in the whole
Earth.
It is about 35% of all the metals.
As a solid, it makes up most of the Earth’s inner core.
It is a solid up to a temperature of 2,541 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Below 1,420 degrees Fahrenheit iron is very magnetic.
Prediction
If the inner core was made out of bubble gum, rather than iron, this is
what I think would happen. First of all, the Earth would have no
magnetic poles because iron is magnetic and causes the poles. Gum is not
magnetic. Thus, there would be no poles. If we did not have any magnetic
poles, no compasses would have been invented. People would have only
had the stars, and instruments that used them, to travel by. Secondly,
because of the high temperature and pressure in the inner core, I think
gum would not be strong enough to withstand them. Iron is thick and
heavy. It can stand a lot of heat and pressure. Gum is not. Gum is brittle
and hard when it is dry. If you stand on a very dry stick of gum, it will
crack and break. I think that gum would crumble in the middle of the
Earth. This would cause holes to be formed. The mantle and the crust
would start to fall into the center of the Earth. This would cause the
planet to lose its shape, and implode, ending life as we know it on this
planet!
Sources
Books:
Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. Volume 6 1998
Sites:
Amurol Confections, Inc. http://www.bubblegum.com